Barry Pavel

Barry Pavel is vice president of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD). He directs the National Defense Research Institute (NDRI),a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) whose sponsors include the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense intelligence enterprise.

Before joining RAND, Pavel was the founding director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. While at the Atlantic Council, Pavel was known for his contributions in the areas of strategy and foresight, adapting America’s alliances, and realigning U.S. defense strategy and capabilities.

Pavel has worked in the field of defense policy for more than three decades. He held senior positions at the Department of Defense and National Security Council before taking on his role at the Atlantic Council. Earlier in his career, Pavel worked at the Institute for Defense Analyses. Throughout, Pavel has been widely recognized as a leader and important voice on U.S. national security policy. He is also known as a generous mentor and effective collaborator.

Pavel's own research interests span a wide range of areas, including geopolitics, national security strategy, Indo-Pacific and trans-Atlantic security, and U.S. global defense posture. Pavel earned MPA and MA degrees from Princeton University and an undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics/Economics from Brown University.